Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you! Rabbie’s hosted me for free on this tour but all opinions are, as usual, my own.
Staying in Manchester and want to explore the Lake District? Then a day tour to the Lakes is a great option for you, especially if you are a bit short on time or don’t want to drive.
I recently went on a day trip to the Lake District with Rabbie’s and I absolutely loved it so I wanted to share my experience with you.
🛑 Don’t want to read the whole article? In short: I LOVED this tour and think it’s a great way to see the Lake District in a day. You can check availability and rates here.
Firstly, please note that you can definitely visit the Lakes by yourself.
Ideally, you’ll need to hire a car but you can also do it with public transport (though that option is a bit difficult if you only have one day).
However, I wanted to go on Rabbie’s tour because I know that you get to see a lot more with a tour than you do by yourself.
The guide brings you to all the best spots so you don’t have to think about a thing and you also don’t have to spend time researching the area, it’s all done for you.
You also don’t get as tired since you’re not driving which means you can do more in a shorter period of time.
Finally, one of the highlights of the Lake District National Park is the scenery and that’s something you definitely get to enjoy more as a passenger.
Also to be honest, I’m quite happy for someone else to drive some of these mountain passes!
Lake District Day Tour Itinerary with Rabbie’s
Firstly, let’s start with the itinerary so you get an idea of what you’ll actually do and see.
8:15AM – Meet your guide on Stone St in Manchester
The tour departs at 8:30AM which means that you should meet your guide 15 minutes before.
The pickup point is located on Stone Street which is only 5 minutes from Piccadilly train station.
Although I had a good idea of where it was, I watched the Rabbie’s video that explains how to get there from the station and that was very useful so if you have any doubts, I’d recommend you check it out before your tour.
Once you get there, you’ll meet your driver who will check you in and you can take a seat in the bus.
8:30AM – Departure and driving through Manchester
You’ll leave at 8:30AM and drive through Manchester and Salford to get to the motorway.
This part is actually quite interesting because the driver (who is also your guide) has a microphone and gives a lot of information about the city itself.
I’ve been living in Manchester for almost a decade now so I do know the history of the city pretty well but I still learnt some interesting facts.
Our guide Darren told us about the history of Manchester in a very interesting way. He mentioned the beginnings with the Roman Empire, where the name comes from, all the way to the Industrial Revolution and modern days.
As we drove towards the Lake District, he continued to share very interesting facts and point out interesting buildings and railways.
COOL FACT: One of the things I loved the most about the tour was that he played music to go with what we were seeing. For example, we drove past the Settle to Carlisle railway (which is one of the most scenic railways in Britain by the way) and when we did, he played us a song from a local artist about that railway. I loved that!
10AM (ish) – You arrive at Bowness-on-Windermere
This is the first stop of the day. Bowness-on-Windermere is a small town located on Lake Windermere, which is the only official lake in the Lake District. None of the other bodies of water have the word lake in the name, only Windermere.
This is where the cruise on the lake departs (this is actually an extra with the tour but it’s well worth it).
The cruise lasts 45 minutes. You will go around the islands and around the southern part of the lake. There is a commentary as well which means you get to learn about all the buildings you see as well as the boats and the islands.
There is an outdoor top deck (which is great in summer) and a covered area downstairs which means that it’s suitable whether it rains or shines.
After the cruise, we had about 45 minutes to explore the town which was a nice amount of time. I went to see the church and popped in some of the shops to get some local snacks (Kendal Mint Cake that was!).
12PM – You leave Bowness-on-Windermere to go to the Kirkstone Pass
The Lake District is full of windy roads and mountain passes and that’s definitely one of the things that make it so unique. These are actually quite difficult to drive sometimes so it’s a huge plus to be a passenger.
We took the Kirkstone pass all the way to the top. Once there, we had a quick stop to enjoy the views over the mountains and Lake Windermere and take some photos of the Kirkstone Inn pub (which is the second highest pub in England).
The drive itself is very scenic so that was beautiful to see. Along the way, our guide continued to give us some information and pointed out some of the animals such as the Herdwick sheep (which is a breed that only lives in the Lake District).
We then headed back towards Grasmere.
1PM – You arrive in Grasmere
We arrived in Grasmere around 1PM which is perfect because there are loads of great things to eat there so it was a cute little spot for lunch.
Also, that was my favourite part of the trip!
Before we got off the bus, our guide told us everything about the Grasmere Gingerbread which is only made in Grasmere and I can honestly say that is the best gingerbread I’ve ever eaten!
You can find it in official shops in other places in the Lakes but the one in Grasmere is where it’s actually made and the smell is simply the best! As soon as this delicious smell hits your nose, you’ll be compelled to buy some!
So, that’s what I did (alongside some Rum butter which is also typical of the Lakes) and then went to the Wordsworth Daffodil Garden for a stroll (and eat my delicious gingerbread).
After that, there was still some time left so you can wander around the town and visit the local shops.
I also went for a drink and lunch before heading back to the bus (I had to try these Cumberland sausages while I was there).
2:30PM – Heading to Coniston
After Grasmere, we started heading to Coniston water. We didn’t stop in the village of Coniston but stopped by the lake for some photos.
This place is famous because that’s where Donald Campbell attempted to break the water speed record at over 300 miles per hour on Coniston Water and that’s when he sadly died.
Our guide told us everything about Donald Campbell and this specific event which was very interesting, especially since he also played the official recording from the time of the event.
It was a very sad recording to hear but it really made the trip more interesting.
3:15PM – You arrive in Hawkshead
Hawkshead is one of the most beautiful villages to visit in the Lake District and it’s particularly famous for its connections with Beatrix Potter.
By the time you get to Hawkshead, you’ll have already found a lot of Peter Rabbit products and the guide will have told you everything you need to know about her and the Lake District.
Did you know that she bought 16 farmhouses to breed Herdwick sheep and donated everything to the National Trust? To this day, this is still the biggest single donation the National Trust ever had.
When you get to the Hawkshead, you’ll get about 1 hour to explore. This is a nice place to have a wonder. Make sure you go up to the church as it’s a nice viewpoint as well.
You can also go to the local shops such as the chocolate factory and the Honeypot shop.
4:30PM – Heading back to Manchester
Once you meet your guide again, you’ll start making your way back to Manchester via the Grizedale forest. This is also very scenic.
Once you get back on the motorway, you’ll get some more stories about Manchester and some classic Mancunian songs (I won’t spoil it for you but you already know them all).
6:15PM to 7PM – Arrival in Manchester
Depending on traffic, you should arrive around 6:45PM in Manchester and can enjoy the rest of your day there.
What did I think of this Rabbie’s Tour?
Honestly, I absolutely loved it!
As someone who has worked in the travel industry all her life, I got to go on many many tours and this is one of my favourites.
Here is why:
- We saw a lot in a short amount of time but it didn’t feel rushed. That’s something I really loved because I know it would have been very hard to do as much by myself, I would have been too tired to drive by the end of the day. The fact that I could just relax on the bus was great. We got over 1 hour in all the main spots (Bowness-on-Windermere, Grasmere and Hawkshead) as well as some photo spots which were nice as well.
- The commentary was excellent. I really loved the commentary because the guide was very fun and knowledgeable. I didn’t get bored for a single second and we learnt so much!
- I absolutely loved the music. During the trip, our guide played a variety of songs, traditional sounds and recordings. This was one of the highlights for me because I thought it was great to immerse ourselves, understand the local culture and also just relax.
- The scenery was beautiful. We took a lot of small scenic roads in the Lakes which was great because we could truly appreciate the landscape.
- It was a small group. Rabbie’s tours have a capacity of only 15 people which is great because it feels very personal and you can chat with the other passengers and the guide. It felt very comfortable and easy to manage for everyone.
How To Book
You can book the tour directly on Rabbie’s website here. You will also find the itinerary and map.
They also offer many other tours in Scotland but also from Manchester including day trips and multi day tours to North Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District.
Tips to Make the Best of Your Day Tour
If you opt for a tour with Rabbie’s, everything is done for you really however, there are a few things I think you should know so you can truly make the best of the experience.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You won’t go hiking or on any strenuous walks but you will be walking around the towns to explore and there are a lot of cobblestones so flat comfortable shoes are preferable.
- Take a windbreaker / waterproof coat. While I hope for you that you’ll get good weather, this is still Northern England so rain is always possible. As you can see on my photos, it was dry when I visited but it was still threatening to rain and windy. Also, the Lake District is much higher in altitude compared to Manchester which means it’s colder. For this reason, make sure to take a waterproof coat. This will come particularly handy if you opt for the lake cruise as it is windy on the top deck.
- Eat some of the local foods. One of the things I loved the most about the tour was the fact that the guide gave us so many good food recommendations. It was great to experience the local cuisine, especially since everything was so good!
